U.S. Economy: Retail Sales Stagnate on Higher Unemployment

Sales at U.S. retailers stagnated in June, highlighting weakness in consumer demand that accounts for 70 percent of the economy.

Purchases rose 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Sales excluding autos were little changed, the poorest performance since July 2010. Wholesale prices fell more than forecast in June on lower energy costs, the Labor Department said.